Goalkeepers occupy a unique position on the pitch, requiring a highly specific skill set. But as the demands of the modern game require ‘keepers to resemble outfield players more closely, should we adapt our approach to goalkeeper training? Here, we discuss when young players should specialise as goalkeepers, consider the specific skills required by goalkeepers today, and explain how a multisport approach can help young players to develop key skills and physical attributes. In This Article Deciding When Goalkeepers Should Specialise What Should a Goalkeeper…
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PDP Members can explore a massive library of on-demand coaching content, with new articles, videos, sessions and interviews published every week. PDP Membership includes:
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PLUS, You will be invited to our exclusive online Slack Community where you can ask questions, share ideas and discuss coaching, anytime.
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A player’s stamina can impact their performance, development, and even their enjoyment of the game. As such, endurance training for soccer is an increasingly important part of many coaches’ training programs. But what does stamina entail? And how can we help young players increase their stamina while supporting the other aspects of their development? Below, we consider the importance of stamina in soccer, and how to train fitness in our sessions. In This Article What Is Stamina? How Does Increasing Stamina Affect Performance? Soccer Conditioning:…
Creating a positive team culture is an important part of building a strong team and stimulating an effective learning environment. But what factors influence team culture, and how can we manipulate them to give our players the best possible experiences? Below, we consider what makes culture, how to build a team culture in a grassroots setting, and the importance of forging shared values with our players. In This Article What Is a Team Culture? Creating Shared Values in Sports Building Team Culture and Getting Buy-In…
Coaching Courses
Physical Performance Through Soccer
Learn how to use the game to enhance the physical performance of your players, regardless of their age or ability.
We’ve designed this course to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of football movement, football fitness and some key principles which will help ensure the physical development of your players.
By the end of the course, we aim to have you walk away with practical tools to help players of all ages. You’ll have a solid understanding of the 3S’s (speed, strength and stamina), how to use the game of football to achieve physical outcomes, a strong understanding of growth and maturation, how to measure and manage training load, advice on warm-ups, considerations for female athletes and practical sessions you can deliver with physical performance in mind.
You can work through the course in your own time, we’ll provide several resources for you to download as well as a few quizzes to check your understanding along the way.
Coaching Courses
Foundations of Session Design
As coaches our goal should be to maximise the potential of our players and create a positive experience for them to enjoy.
This means understanding what they want to achieve, what they need to get there, then creating an environment which supports their goals and helps them grow.
This course is designed for coaches of all abilities. We aim to challenge your thinking, provide you with innovative ideas, and most importantly, practical solutions to implement with your players, right away.
By the time you complete the course, you will be more confident than ever of designing realistic, bespoke sessions for your players which will support their development.
Coaching Courses
Introduction to Soccer Coaching Course
We know that the majority of coaches out there are volunteers - first time coaches, who may not have a background in soccer. We also know that these coaches don't have time to spend hours and hours searching for answers online about how to effectively coach.
So we teamed up with Rob Sherman, one of the best coach educators in the world, to deliver a 100% online course that you can complete from home, in your own time, on any device.
Specifically designed for coaches working with U6 - U12 players, this course will give you a system for using the 50+ practices we provide, and putting them into a session framework to save time each week.
We've helped thousands of coaches with different experience levels working with different age groups.
Now we can help you too.
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The PDP Slack Community is the hub for all coaching conversations - all PDP Members and Course Participants are invited to join.
Every day, the community is discussing session plans, new ideas, and supporting each other to grow as coaches. The PDP Coaching Team, are on there every day answering questions, posting content and supporting coaches.
So start your PDP Membership, or sign up for one of the PDP Coaching Academy Courses, and you'll be invited to join the conversation.